Chart & Map Specialists: Mapworld, Perth Map Centre and the Future of Print-on-Demand Mapping

by Christopher O'Keeffe June 13, 2026

From landmark chart & map stores in Sydney, Canberra and Perth to Australia’s largest family-owned online map shop, Mapworld continues a national tradition of map expertise, specialist service and print-on-demand mapping.

Maps have always needed specialists.

Not general retailers.

Not novelty shops.

Not ordinary stationers.

Real chart & map customers need people who understand scale, coverage, paper, lamination, canvas, Tyvek, nautical charts, topographic maps, wall maps, globes, flags, touring maps and the practical difference between a map that looks right and a map that works.

For decades, Mapworld built that reputation through physical stores in some of Australia’s most important cities.

There was the flagship Mapworld store at 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

There was the North Shore store at 136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest.

There was the Canberra store on Northbourne Avenue, serving government, embassies, NGOs and national institutions.

And in Perth, there was the long-established Perth Map Centre at 900 Hay Street, a chart & maps institution for Western Australia.

Over time, these specialist stores transitioned into the national Mapworld online business model — a model designed for a new era of chart & map retail.

Today, Mapworld is headquartered at Unit 2 / 14 Whyalla Street, Willetton, and has grown into Australia’s largest family-owned online map shop.

The shopfront has changed.

The expertise has not.

Mapworld remains what it has always been: a specialist chart & map business for people who need the right map, in the right format, for the right purpose.

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A National Chart & Map Heritage

Mapworld’s story is not the story of a single shop.

It is the story of a national chart & map network.

Each store had its own character, customers and geography.

Sydney served business, defence, travellers, educators and professionals.

Crows Nest served the North Shore, families, schools, sailors, travellers and local map lovers.

Canberra served government, diplomacy, embassies, NGOs, departments and national institutions.

Perth Map Centre served Western Australia’s sailors, miners, teachers, travellers, four-wheel drivers, government departments, surveyors and remote-area customers.

Together, these stores created something rare: a genuinely national chart & maps tradition.

They were places people visited because they needed specialist knowledge.

A sailor needed the correct nautical chart.

A mining company needed a large wall map.

A school needed a classroom map.

A traveller needed Hema and Westprint touring maps.

A government office needed a laminated planning map.

A defence customer needed topographic and international maps.

A collector needed a historical map.

A business needed a city wall map for sales territories.

A family needed a globe.

That is the kind of retail Mapworld grew from: specialist, practical and deeply connected to place.

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280 Pitt Street, Sydney: The Flagship Mapworld Store

For many customers, Mapworld’s flagship store at 280 Pitt Street, Sydney was the public face of the business.

Located in the heart of Sydney, it served a wide range of customers: office workers, government departments, defence personnel, travellers, teachers, students, sailors, business owners, planners and anyone who needed a serious chart & map product.

The Pitt Street store was a true map shop.

It stocked wall maps, topographic maps, international maps, globes, atlases, travel maps, nautical charts and specialist reference products. It was the kind of place where customers could browse, ask questions and receive knowledgeable advice.

It also played an important role in Mapworld’s relationship with institutional customers.

The Department of Defence was a close neighbour and a key customer. Defence personnel would come into the Pitt Street store to stock up on topographic maps, international maps, wall maps, compasses and navigation products.

That relationship helped establish Mapworld as a trusted supplier to serious map users.

The Pitt Street store represented an era when chart & map retail was personal and physical. Customers came in because they needed reliable products and experienced staff.

As the retail world changed and online ordering became the new national model, the flagship Sydney presence became part of the larger Mapworld transition — from city shopfront to Australia-wide chart & map supply.

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136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest: Serving Sydney’s North Shore

Mapworld’s store at 136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest gave the business another strong Sydney presence.

Crows Nest was a natural home for a specialist chart & maps shop.

It served the North Shore, one of Sydney’s most map-aware customer bases: families, schools, travellers, sailors, professionals, businesses and outdoor users.

Customers came in for:

• world maps

• Australia maps

• school maps

• globes

• street directories

• travel maps

• walking and touring maps

• nautical charts

• topographic maps

• business wall maps

• gifts and reference products

The Crows Nest store helped Mapworld reach customers who valued good service and specialist advice.

It was a suburban chart & map shop with national product depth.

For many customers, it was the place to plan a trip, choose a globe, buy a school map, find a travel atlas, select a nautical chart or discover a wall map for home or business.

Like the Pitt Street flagship, the Crows Nest store eventually became part of Mapworld’s broader move away from multiple physical shopfronts and toward a stronger national online model.

But the knowledge, customer relationships and product understanding built through that store remain part of Mapworld’s story.

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Northbourne Avenue, Canberra: Government, Embassies and National Institutions

The Mapworld store on Northbourne Avenue in Canberra occupied a very special place in the company’s history.

Canberra is not an ordinary city.

It is the city of government, diplomacy, national administration, policy, embassies, NGOs, defence, education and international relations.

A chart & map shop in Canberra naturally served customers who needed maps for serious institutional use.

The Canberra store built close ties with:

• Federal Government departments

• State and territory offices

• the Prime Minister’s Office

• the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

• Australian embassies abroad

• foreign embassies in Canberra

• NGOs

• universities

• schools

• international organisations

• defence and policy customers

The store became a practical destination for wall maps, globes, flags and international reference products.

Embassies needed maps and flags.

Government offices needed wall maps.

Departments needed country and regional maps.

NGOs needed development and program maps.

Schools needed educational maps.

Diplomatic missions needed globes and formal display products.

For many years, the Canberra store helped make Mapworld one of Australia’s most important suppliers of wall maps, globes and flags to institutions.

When Mapworld transitioned away from physical stores, the Northbourne Avenue store became part of the national online model. Its legacy continues in Mapworld’s ongoing supply to government, defence, embassies, NGOs, education and institutional customers across Australia.

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Perth Map Centre at 900 Hay Street

In Western Australia, the name Perth Map Centre carried real weight.

Located at 900 Hay Street, Perth, Perth Map Centre was a long-established specialist destination for chart & maps in the heart of the city.

Western Australia is a state that demands maps.

The distances are vast.

The coastline is long.

The mining regions are remote.

The outback is serious.

The marine environment is demanding.

Road travel can involve thousands of kilometres.

A Perth chart & map shop had to understand those realities.

Perth Map Centre served:

• sailors

• travellers

• four-wheel drivers

• mining companies

• government departments

• teachers

• students

• surveyors

• planners

• pilots

• outdoor users

• collectors

• businesses

• families

Customers came to Hay Street because they needed real map knowledge.

They wanted the correct nautical chart.

The right Hema map.

The right topographic map.

A wall map of Western Australia.

A mining or resource map.

A globe.

A historical map.

A chart & map product that suited the task.

In 2012, Perth Map Centre transitioned into the national Mapworld online business model.

That move preserved the specialist knowledge of the Perth map shop while allowing Mapworld to serve customers across the country.

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From Physical Stores to a National Online Model

The transition from physical stores to a national online map shop was not the end of specialist chart & map retail.

It was the next stage.

The old model depended on shelves, shopfronts and local foot traffic.

The new model depends on range, production capability, online access, print-on-demand technology and national delivery.

Mapworld’s transition brought together the knowledge and reputation built through:

• 280 Pitt Street, Sydney

• 136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest

• Northbourne Avenue, Canberra

• Perth Map Centre, 900 Hay Street, Perth

Those physical locations became the foundation for a national online business.

Today, a customer in Broome, Hobart, Darwin, Cairns, Adelaide, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane or regional Australia can access the kind of chart & map expertise that was once only available by walking into a specialist city store.

That is the power of the Mapworld model.

The store is now national.

The service is still personal.

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Headquartered in Willetton, Western Australia

Mapworld is now headquartered at Unit 2 / 14 Whyalla Street, Willetton.

This is where the modern Mapworld operation comes together.

It is where online orders are processed, maps are printed, wall maps are finished, charts are prepared, custom work is produced, and products are shipped around Australia.

From Willetton, Mapworld supplies:

• wall maps

• nautical charts

• topographic maps

• business maps

• Hema maps

• UBD maps

• world maps

• Australia maps

• city maps

• state maps

• globes

• flags

• historical maps

• educational maps

• mining maps

• health network maps

• print-on-demand chart & map products

The location may be industrial rather than retail, but that is exactly what modern map supply requires.

Mapworld today is not simply a shop.

It is a national chart & map production and fulfilment business.

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Australia’s Largest Family-Owned Online Map Shop

Mapworld is proud to be Australia’s largest family-owned online map shop.

That matters because maps are personal.

People buy maps for journeys, classrooms, homes, businesses, boats, offices, emergencies, boardrooms, expeditions and memories.

They need advice, not just a product listing.

A family-owned chart & map business carries something different from a generic online retailer.

It carries memory.

It carries product knowledge.

It carries relationships.

It remembers the old map series, the classic wall maps, the reliable publishers, the discontinued favourites, the best materials, the school standards, the nautical chart requirements, the touring-map preferences and the questions customers ask before choosing.

That depth of knowledge has been built across decades of chart & maps retail.

It began in stores.

It continues online.

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Why Charts & Maps Still Matter

A map helps people understand land, places, roads, terrain, regions, borders and distances.

A chart helps people navigate water, coastlines, depths, hazards, ports, channels and marine environments.

Together, chart & map products cover the two great spaces of movement: land and sea.

Mapworld’s chart & maps range includes:

• nautical charts

• topographic maps

• wall maps

• road maps

• city maps

• touring maps

• educational maps

• globes

• historical maps

• mining maps

• custom maps

• print-on-demand maps

The world has changed, but chart & map products still matter because they do things digital screens often cannot.

They can be large.

They can be shared.

They can be marked.

They can be displayed.

They can be used without battery life.

They can remain visible in a room.

They can turn geography into something people understand together.

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The Exciting Future of Print-on-Demand Mapping

The future of chart & map retail is print-on-demand.

That is one of the most exciting parts of the modern Mapworld story.

In the past, a map shop could only sell what it could physically stock.

Shelf space limited the range.

Slow-moving titles disappeared.

Specialist maps were hard to justify.

Large maps were expensive to store.

Custom sizes were difficult.

Print-on-demand changes that.

It allows Mapworld to offer:

• more titles

• more sizes

• more finishes

• custom enlargements

• short-run specialist maps

• laminated wall maps

• canvas maps

• hang-railed maps

• waterproof Tyvek maps

• updated editions

• made-to-order chart & map products

This is a new kind of chart & map business.

It combines the knowledge of the old specialist stores with the production power of modern printing.

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Better Materials for Better Charts & Maps

Print-on-demand mapping is not just about printing quickly.

It is about printing properly.

Mapworld uses materials suited to different chart & map purposes.

Archival FSC Paper

Ideal for wall maps, historical maps, framed maps, educational maps and custom prints.

Laminated Maps

Ideal for business planning, classrooms, offices, boardrooms, training rooms and write-on/wipe-off use.

Canvas Maps

Ideal for homes, offices, reception areas, boardrooms, historical maps and premium wall display.

Waterproof Tyvek

Ideal for topographic maps, emergency-service maps, field maps, outdoor navigation and rugged use.

The right material turns a map into the right tool.

A classroom map needs durability.

A boardroom map needs presence.

A field map needs toughness.

A historical map needs beauty.

A nautical chart needs clarity.

A chart & map specialist understands those differences.

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Charts & Maps for Business

Businesses still need wall maps.

A screen can find one address.

A wall map shows the whole territory.

Mapworld supplies charts & maps for:

• sales territories

• delivery zones

• logistics planning

• franchise mapping

• service areas

• customer density

• boardroom strategy

• warehouse planning

• mining support

• government planning

• transport routes

• office display

A laminated business map can be marked with map dots and suitable markers, wiped clean and updated as the business changes.

That makes it more than a display item.

It becomes a planning surface.

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Charts & Maps for Education

Schools remain one of the most important audiences for printed maps.

A classroom wall map teaches quietly every day.

It stays visible.

It gives students constant exposure to geography.

It helps teachers explain the world.

Mapworld supplies educational charts & maps including:

• world wall maps

• Australia wall maps

• political maps

• physical maps

• Indigenous Australia maps

• historical maps

• globes

• classroom atlases

• geography resources

A large wall map makes the world feel real.

That is something a small screen rarely does as well.

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Chart & Maps for Travel, Touring and the Outdoors

Australia is a country made for maps.

People still use printed maps for:

• caravanning

• four-wheel driving

• bushwalking

• camping

• remote-area touring

• boating

• road trips

• national parks

• outback travel

Mapworld supplies Hema maps, Westprint maps, road atlases, topographic maps, touring maps, nautical charts and field-ready chart & map products for travellers who want the bigger picture.

A printed map shows the journey.

Not just the next turn.

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Chart & Maps for the Sea

The “chart” side of chart & map retail remains essential.

Mapworld supplies nautical charts and marine navigation products for sailors, skippers, fishers and coastal navigators.

This includes:

• official AUS nautical charts

• WA Department of Transport charts

• Imray charts

• cruising guides

• tide tables

• dividers

• parallel rules

• navigation tools

A nautical chart is not a road map.

It is a specialist navigation document.

It shows depths, hazards, channels, lights, buoys, anchorages, restricted areas, ports and coastal features.

That is why chart & map expertise matters.

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Chart & Maps for Government, Defence and Emergency Services

Mapworld’s chart & maps range also supports serious institutional customers.

Government departments need wall maps.

Defence customers need international maps, regional maps, topographic maps and training-room wall maps.

Emergency services need field-ready topographic maps and large situation-room maps.

Mining companies need resource maps.

Healthcare organisations need network maps.

Embassies need maps, globes and flags.

These customers need accuracy, durability, readability and the right format.

Mapworld supplies chart & maps for:

• government offices

• defence bases

• emergency services

• mining companies

• embassies

• schools

• universities

• NGOs

• health organisations

• planning rooms

The right map in the wrong format is still the wrong product.

That is where Mapworld’s specialist knowledge matters.

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Why the Online Model Works

The national online model works because it combines access, range and production.

Customers can browse the website, choose the map, select the size and finish, and have the product supplied from Mapworld’s Perth headquarters.

This model allows Mapworld to offer far more than any single physical store could practically display.

It also allows customers to access specialist chart & map products no matter where they live.

The old shops were important.

They built the knowledge.

The online model carries that knowledge forward.

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From Pitt Street, Crows Nest, Canberra and Perth to the Whole Country

The Mapworld story belongs to many places.

280 Pitt Street, Sydney gave Mapworld its flagship presence in Australia’s largest city.

136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest helped serve Sydney’s North Shore with specialist chart & maps.

Northbourne Avenue, Canberra connected Mapworld with government, embassies, NGOs and national institutions.

900 Hay Street, Perth gave Western Australia a respected chart & map destination through Perth Map Centre.

Unit 2 / 14 Whyalla Street, Willetton is the modern headquarters of the national Mapworld online business.

These places matter because they show how Mapworld grew.

Not from nowhere.

Not as a generic website.

But from decades of map-shop experience across Australia.

The future of Mapworld is online, national and print-on-demand.

But the roots are real.

They are in the old stores, the old counters, the old shelves, the customers who came in needing advice, and the belief that chart & maps still matter.

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Final Thoughts

Mapworld carries forward a proud Australian chart & map tradition.

From Pitt Street to Crows Nest.

From Northbourne Avenue to Hay Street.

From Perth Map Centre to Willetton.

From physical stores to national online supply.

Mapworld has changed with the times while holding onto the specialist knowledge that made the business valuable in the first place.

Today, as Australia’s largest family-owned online map shop, Mapworld supplies homes, schools, businesses, travellers, sailors, government departments, defence customers, emergency services, mining companies and collectors across the country.

The future of chart & map retail is bright.

It is print-on-demand.

It is custom-sized.

It is laminated.

It is canvas.

It is waterproof Tyvek.

It is large-format.

It is national.

And it is built on decades of real chart & map experience.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Where was the Mapworld flagship store in Sydney?

Mapworld’s flagship Sydney store was located at 280 Pitt Street, Sydney.

Where was the Mapworld Crows Nest store?

The Mapworld Crows Nest store was located at 136 Willoughby Road, Crows Nest.

Where was the Mapworld Canberra store?

The Mapworld Canberra store was located on Northbourne Avenue in Canberra.

Where was Perth Map Centre located?

Perth Map Centre was located at 900 Hay Street, Perth.

When did Perth Map Centre transition into Mapworld’s online model?

Perth Map Centre transitioned into the national Mapworld online business model in 2012.

Where is Mapworld headquartered today?

Mapworld is headquartered at Unit 2 / 14 Whyalla Street, Willetton, Western Australia.

Is Mapworld family-owned?

Yes. Mapworld is Australia’s largest family-owned online map shop.

What does chart & map mean?

Chart & map refers to specialist geographic and navigation products, including land maps, wall maps, topographic maps, nautical charts, touring maps, business maps and educational maps.

What is print-on-demand mapping?

Print-on-demand mapping allows maps to be printed when ordered in different sizes and finishes, including paper, laminated, canvas, hang-railed and waterproof Tyvek formats.

Why are printed maps still useful?

Printed maps provide scale, shared visibility, reliability, offline use and display value. They remain essential for classrooms, businesses, fieldwork, boating, travel, planning and wall display.

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